What if your next training session became the highlight of your recruiters’ week rather than just another calendar obligation? We explore how innovative recruitment leaders transform traditional onboarding into engaging experiences that drive performance and retention.
In this episode, a tenured recruiter and recruitment business owner shares his experience in training hundreds of recruiters in this career. For David, “training and developing people is fun!”
David Bloxham is the CEO of GCS Recruitment. With over 30 years of experience, David is passionate about connecting innovative technology companies with the expert talent they need to drive their businesses forward.
In 2017, he led a successful management buyout (MBO) with nGAGE Talent, further solidifying his leadership in the industry. Under his guidance, GCS Recruitment has expanded globally with a team of 100 consultants and seven offices, including London, Reading, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, Orlando, and Philadelphia.
Episode Outline and Highlights
- [02:12] How did David get started in recruiting?
- [04:30] Has productivity in recruitment remaining relatively constant over time?
- [13:08] Effective and efficient team structure to increase productivity.
- [20:23] Hiring and developing hundreds of people over the years, what key training elements David wishes to share?
- [36:05] David and his team use tools and technology for reports and gamifying objectives.
- [40:27] Core focus of recruiters despite technological advances: telephone first and networking.
- [49:31] Discussion on David’s Management Buyout (MBO) experience and learnings.
- [56:53] Should your recruitment firm get an investment from a Private Equity?
Training and Developing People is Fun!
David started in the recruiting industry in 1996, and both of us agree that training back then was almost as simple as “here is a phonebook, and a phone, start calling.” We both understand the value of effective training as a key ingredient to successful recruiting results.
Having hired and developed hundreds of recruiters over the years, what is David’s approach to training, especially in this age where technology can overwhelm the human factor of a new recruiter? For David, it is about going back to basics and focusing on what a recruiter really does. Phone first, and building a network. He utilizes existing technology and tech stack, especially when monitoring and gamifying performance as part of training and development. Most importantly, his mindset says a lot about his success, “Training and developing people is fun!”
Below are some of the takeaways he shared on this topic:
- Passion for Teaching – He genuinely enjoys training people, seeing them “get it,” and watching their progress. His enthusiasm makes training engaging and impactful.
- Gamification and Fun—He introduces friendly competitions, small challenges (like mentioning random topics in calls), and a team environment that keeps training lively and engaging.
- Hands-On Learning – He believes in learning by doing, allowing trainees to make calls early, experience rejection, and develop resilience.
- Focus on Fundamentals – Despite industry changes, he emphasizes that the core of recruitment remains the same: connecting clients and candidates.
- Creating a Supportive Environment – He fosters a collaborative setting where trainees can share wins, struggles, and experiences.
- Emphasizing Resilience – He prepares recruiters for the challenges of the job, especially handling rejection and navigating modern recruitment complexities.
- Adapting Training to Modern Challenges – He acknowledges changes in recruitment (e.g., difficulty reaching candidates, compliance hurdles) and tailors training to address these new realities.
What Does a Recruiter Do?
Despite technological advances in AI, David strongly believes that focusing on the human factor by understanding what a recruiter does is still the key success factor in this field. He believes that two things are essential:
- Telephone First
- Building a Network
Regardless of what AI or other tools can do to improve your recruitment process, it is still a recruiter’s human factor of connecting with candidates and clients that drives the decision of whether you will win the business or not. As he puts it, “And, and that’s really where I kind of come to with, with what does a recruiter do? What a recruiter does is it has the human interaction, the human touch, right? And if we can really get that into the heads of recruiters, this is where your value is. This is what you do, right? You meet people, you talk to people, you network, you find out things.”
Indeed, recruiters who rely too much on automation risk becoming replaceable. But those who master the human side of the business—building relationships, influencing decisions, and adding personal value—will always be in demand.
Learnings from an MBO (Management Buyout)
As one of the first employees at GCS, David was deeply invested in the company’s growth. When it reached an eight-figure valuation, the decision was made to exit certain owners and transition leadership. Since David didn’t have the capital to buy out the founder, they sought backing from nGAGE, an investment company that specializes in recruitment businesses. The process involved intense due diligence, financial scrutiny, and planning to make GCS an attractive investment.
David’s learnings also apply to recruitment business owners who plan to exit and sell their business through acquisition. You may be interested in the following topics that David elaborated on:
- Know Your Numbers
- Focus on Profitability & Efficiency
- Investors Want Focus & Justification
- Culture & Brand Matter
- The Shift from Employee to Shareholder
